U.S. Information Agency, Office of Contracts, 301 4TH STREET SW, Room M27, Washington, DC 20547

R -- EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL SPECIALISTS TO ASSIST ATTORNEY'S SOL IA0801-S8234763-MB DUE 120397 POC Marlene Brooks, Contract Specialist, Phone: (202) 205-9664; Fax: (202) 205-5466 R -- EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL SPECIALISTS TO ASSIST ATTORNEYS. RFP NO. IA0801-S8234763-MB. DUE DATE -- 12/3/97. POC: Marlene Brooks, Contract Specialist, Phone: (202) 205-9664; Fax: (202) 205-5466. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This is RFP No. IA0801-S8234763-MB. This RFP document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 97-01, dated 10/21/97. SIC 8999, Services, N.E.C. We expect RFP No. IA0801-S8234763-MB will result in a firm-fixed price labor-hour contract with a one-year base period beginning on or about January 5, 1998. Contract shall have a 1-year base period plus two (2) 1-year options to extend the contract term. The FAR provisions at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, apply to this RFP. The Government expects to award a contract resulting from this RFP to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the RFP will be the most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors, in descending order of importance, shall be used to evaluate offers: (1) Offeror's Knowledge and Experience in personnel matters -- Contractor's employees must meet the applicable Personnel Specialist "Qualification Requirements" as defined below. (2) Past Performance, to include recent and relavant contracts for the same or similar services and other references, including contract numbers, points of contact with phone no. and other relevant information; and (3) Price Evaluation -- A price realism assessment shall be made as it relates to reasonableness of price. The offeror shall include a completed copy of the FAR provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items. Offerors are advised that FAR provision 52.232-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The deadline for receipt of offers is December 3, 1997, 12:00pm EST. The proposal shall be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization. Submit 2 copies with price and technical proposals bound separately to: U.S. Information Agency, Office of Contracts, ATTN: Marlene Brooks, M/KC, 301 4th Street, SW, Room M-22, Washington, DC 20547. RFP No. IA0801-S8234763-MB. Offers may be submitted on letterhead and at a minimum shall show: (1) RFP number; (2) the date and time specified in the RFP for the receipt of offers; (3) the name, address and phone number of the offeror; (4) a technical description of the offer in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation; (5) price; (6) "Remit To Address," if different from mailing address; (7) a completed copy of the representation and certificates at FAR 5.212-3; (8) Acknowledgment of RFP Amendments, if any; and (9) a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the RFP. Our award may be made without discussion. Offerors whose proposals are determined to be within the competitive range may be requested to provide oral presentations. DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS: CLIN 1: Base Year -- Labor-hour price for each Personnel Specialist: Contractor shall provide one or two experienced full-time personnel specialists, or job-share by two experienced personnel specialists, beginning about January 4, 1998, through about January 4, 1999, to assist U.S. Information Agency's Office of the General Counsel and the U.S. Attorney's Office in preparing for individual hearings in the Hartman v. Duffey class action sex discrimination lawsuit. CLIN 2: Option Year 1 -- Labor-hour price for each Specialist; and CLIN 3: Option Year 2 -- Labor-hour price for each Personnel Specialist. Flexibility in work hours required depending upon trial schedule. Estimated hours of performance required: 1,400 to 2,080. Place of Performance: U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC. Contractor shall review claim forms submitted by individual claimants, as well as USIA's 1992 declarations identifying the Agency's proposed defense(s). Contractor shall collect and analyze documentation (copies and originals) which the Agency previously identified as supporting its defense, as well as assist in identifying and analyzing additional support. Contractor shall note any items in the documentation which strengthen or weaken the bases for the Agency's claim of non-discrimination. Contractor shall become familiar with the specific claim at issue, and will assist the attorney(s) in formulating an effective defense. In so doing, Contractor will be aware of various filing deadlines and will providethe attorney(s) with timely support. At an appropriate time, Contractor shall work with an Agency Personnel Specialist and familiarize him/her with the case. Contractor shall participate in interviews of potential Government witnesses, and shall suggest appropriate questions to ask of them. Typically, these questions will attempt to elicit information about the witness's specific participation in a hiring process. In addition, the questions will attempt to clarify for the attorneys how the process worked. Contractor shall assist in the development of the Government's pre-trial statement (PTS). Contractor shall suggest specific documents for inclusion in the PTS. Contractor shall review the PTS and suggest additional documents for inclusion or shall suggest that certain documents not be included. Contractor shall also suggest possible witnesses, and shall suggest possible evidence to be presented by the witnesses. Contractor shall review the opposing side's PTS, in an effort to discover his/her theory of the case and possible weaknesses therein. Contractor shall review documents included in the opposing side's PTS and locate originals where appropriate. Based on his/her knowledge of the specific hiring processes involved at USIA, Contractor shall endeavor to discover within the opposing side's PTS documents and possible weaknesses in the Government's case, and alert the Government attorneys to these weaknesses, as well as make recommendations as to the best ways to overcome them. Based on his or her knowledge of Government-wide hiring practices in general and USIA hiring practices in particular, the Contractor shall "brainstorm" with the Government attorneys over possible responses to lines of inquiry likely to be raised by the opposing side at trial. Contractor may be asked to attend individual hearing(s) at which the cases he or she has helped to develop are presented. Contractor shall alert the Government attorneys to testimony that is misleading or incomplete, and shall suggest questions, via brief notes to the attorneys, that will clarify testimony or provide more complete information. Contractor shall consult with Government attorneys during breaks at trial, and will suggest possible additional lines of inquiry or possible questions to be asked on cross or re-direct examination. Contractor shall review proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (FFCL) and, based on its knowledge of USIA's hiring practices specifically, Government-wide hiring practices more generally, and the documents and facts presented in the case, and suggest changes to the final FFCL. Contractor shall review the transcripts of the testimony presented at trial, and advise the Government attorneys of issues to be presented in the FFCL. Contractor shall review the initial and final decisions of the Special Master, and shall suggest possible lines of appeal. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS -- 1. Contractor should have knowledge of the principles and practices involved in the Federal Government's competitive personnel appointment process, especially as they existed between 1974 and 1984, including: (a) Qualifications Analysis; (b) Rating and Ranking Applications; (c) Veterans Preference and "the Rule of 3;" (d) The difference between Agency Merit Promotion Programs and Competitive Appointment procedures; (e) The "time after competitive appointment" rule; and (f) The "time in grade" restriction. 2. The Contractor should be familiar with a variety of federal personnel documents, including how they were used in the period 1974-1984. These documents include: (a) Standard Form 52 (Request for Personnel Action); (b) Standard Form 50 (Notification of Personnel Action); (c) Standard Form 171 (Application for Federal Employment); (d) Standard Form 39 (Request for Certificate of Eligibles); and (e) Civil Service Commission/OPM Certificate of Eligibles. 3. It is essential that the Contractor have an attention to detail. 4. The Contractor should know which documents are needed to assure that a hiring action taken by a Federal agency complied with the rules covering appointments into the Federal Service. 5. It is preferred, but not essential, that the Contractor have a knowledge of the operation of delegated examining units, including the rules under which they operate and the documentation they are required to develop and maintain. 6. It is preferred that the Contractor have a knowledge of procedures covering written examinations administered for positions within the Federal Government between 1974 and 1984. Specifically, it is preferred that the contractor have knowledge of the rules covering how tests were to be administered and scored. 7. It is preferred that the contractor have knowledge of the rules and regulations covering appointments into the Excepted Civil Service, as they existed between 1974 and 1984. 8. It is preferred that the contractor have knowledge of the specific rules and regulations covering appointments into the position of Foreign Language Broadcaster/International Radio Broadcaster at the Voice of America between 1974 and 1984. (0317)

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